Give your opinion on cruise ship discharges

Ever wonder where the waste water on a cruise ship goes? Have you heard stories of vessels dumping sewage in the ocean and asked yourself how often this happens? Now you can read an official report on this subject and put in your two cents.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the Draft Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report, which takes a look at the waste streams of sewage, graywater, oily bilge water, solid waste, and hazardous waste discharged by cruise ships. The report explains what the different waste materials are, how much are generated by cruise ships, and the potential environmental impacts of these waste streams.

For example, did you know that cruise ships generate on average 21,000 gallons of sewage per day per vessel? Or that most graywater on ships is discharged into the ocean, whether it’s been specially treated or not?

The public can comment on this report until February 3. The EPA is looking for “options, alternatives, and recommendations on whether and how to better control and regulate the waste streams assessed.” If you’d like your voice to be heard, send your comments to OW-Docket@epa.gov.

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